Ken Mogi
Neuroscientist and author.
Ikigai is all about making these small actions into pleasurable rewarding experiences. You can start from your morning chore of taking a cup of coffee and chocolate. I personally do that every morning and then I immediately start doing some writing or reading in the morning and my day just goes on and on without resting or having an inactive period because I can do that because I'm in an almost constant state of flow.
Ken Mogi
Neuroscientist and author.
This whole attitude of starting from very specific, small things actually makes you go the longest in terms of creating something wonderful. So I think that's a really typical approach by Japanese people and I think that could be an inspiration for many people around the world because we talk too much about goals and not enough about specifics and small things.
Ken Mogi
Neuroscientist and author.
Maybe it's true for any society, but in Japan, we also have people who adjust to their social roles, and their social roles become their lives. It's an adaptation, but I think it's also a tragic loss of opportunities. I'm sure in Australia too there are people who just become their profession like bankers and lawyers who choose to just become that profession and nothing more. But when you were a child, there are infinite possibilities. Your existence was not really defined by any social roles or status. I think being a child is a really important technique to remain creative and free and for learning and so on.
